Windy Indy calorimetry

Look what I finished yesterday! It is called a calorimetry and it is essentially a combination of a head scarf and a hat, which allows people with long hair to keep their heads warm while still wearing their hair in a ponytail or just falling naturally without crushing their 'do. It fastens under the hair in the back with a button.

Even though I do not have long hair, I have been wanting to make one of these for quite a while (and even though I do not have long hair, I wear the calorimetry made for me by my friend Jennifer, because it does an awesome job of keeping my ears warm). I used the Malabrigo worsted yarn I had leftover from making the hat for my friend Laurel, and the color looks great with the pattern.

And look at this great button!


When I was at Sugarfoot Yarns a few weeks ago to buy some SWTC Bamboo for a scarf, I saw this button and knew that I needed this button for the calorimetry. It looks fabulous against that color.

So for whom is this lovely item? My friend Jane, who lives in Indianapolis where it can get quite cold and very windy. She does not know that I made this for her and I probably won't send it to her until fall (just who needs a wool head scarf in July?), so on the off chance that she reads this post, she will find out about it. That is okay by me; a surprise is surprise no matter when it occurs.

I really enjoyed knitting this pattern and would happily make it again. I just need to find a recipient - any volunteers?

Rowdy feet

One of the newest members of the Motherhood Later group on Ravelry has her own Etsy shop, Mama Jude's Plant Dyed Stuff, where she sells yarn that she dyes using natural plant dyes. I am amazed at the vibrant colors that she is able to achieve and love the fun color combinations.

She had a contest to rename her sock yarn, because her yarn supplier didn't like her using their brand name. Since she is located in Georgia (on another side of Atlanta from us), I suggested Peachie Feet. To my surprise, the day after the contest closed she sent a message to me, saying that rather than use my contest suggestion, she wanted to use my Ravelry name, Rowdy Girl!

I was so thrilled, but I had to point out to her that I did not coin the name, that it came from a long ago episode of the television show Designing Women. I told her that it came from an episode about one of Charlene's girlhood friends, who was in an abusive relationship. They had called themselves the Rowdy Girls when they were young, and Charlene invoked that name and the "we can do anything!" feeling when encouraging her friend to leave her husband. Judy then decided that it really was the perfect name for her sock yarn.

She sent to me two skeins of her lovely Rowdy Girl Sock Yarn and they arrived yesterday. Gorgeous!

Here is the Summer Fun colorway:



And here is the Springtime colorway:



The yarn is 55% mohair and 45% wool, and each skein has about 230 yards. It feels so soft and the colors are incredibly beautiful. And while I still have no interest in knitting socks (sorry Noelle and Geri), the yarn can be used for other projects...and I am happily looking through patterns to find the perfect use for it.

Thank you, Judy!